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Swiss banking giant UBS reported Wednesday that net profit rose 17 percent to $2.8 billion in the second quarter, driven by investment banking.

AFP photo editor Maximilien Lamy was on holiday with his partner and daughter last week when he took a series of snapshots of vacationers in fire-struck southwest France with his smartphone.

There was a furious backlash on Wednesday to FIFA's controversial plans to sell a stake in the business operations of the World Cup and its other competitions through the creation of a private subsidiary.

Just over half of England has been declared in drought after "record-low rain and exceptionally high temperatures", the UK government said Wednesday.

TRON DAO, the community-governed DAO dedicated to accelerating the decentralization of the internet through blockchain technology and decentralized applications (dApps), today announced the listing of TRX spot trading and perpetual contracts on Backpack Exchange. The listing expands market support and access to the native utility token of the TRON network, one of the industry's most actively used blockchain ecosystems.

“In a rapidly maturing digital asset market, relying on fragmented risk data is a critical vulnerability. Building a resilient ecosystem demands institutional-grade intelligence.”

Tottenham striker Mathys Tel scored a stunning freekick as the London club were held to a 1-1 draw by Sydney FC on Wednesday in a setback to their pre-season momentum.

Global stock markets largely retreated Wednesday, with South Korea's index suffering one of its steepest plunges as investors further unwound bets on the AI boom.

UN chief Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday he would convene new talks on ending the half-century-old Cyprus conflict, inviting leaders on the divided island and its three guarantor powers.

The wildfire that engulfed Spain's Avila region, northwest of the capital Madrid, is now considered the largest in the country's modern history, with around 50,000 hectares burned, the government said this week.

As far as the eye can see, Jose Fernandez spied only burnt furniture, half-collapsed walls and mountains of ash on what used to be his house and land.

The vice-president of the German FA (DFB) on Wednesday slammed FIFA's controversial plans to sell stakes in its competitions, including the World Cup, as "an outright attack on football".

Nepal's tiger population has risen by roughly 20 percent in the past four years to an estimated 429, officials said on Wednesday, a conservation milestone despite challenges from human-wildlife conflict.

FIFA's plans to sell a stake in the business operations of the World Cup and its other competitions through the creation of a semi-private subsidiary has sparked disbelief and outrage globally.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faced a rising chorus of criticism from within his own centre-right CDU party Wednesday as he completed a chaotic cabinet reshuffle.

Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington was named on Wednesday as a vice-captain of Europe's team for the 2027 Ryder Cup in his native Ireland.

US and Saudi forces said they struck an Iraqi militant alliance on Wednesday, as the Middle East war expands beyond its main focus in Iran to involve the Islamic republic's proxies.

Thousands of Spaniards evacuated from the path of huge wildfires were returning home on Wednesday while in France firefighters braced for worsening conditions in their own battle with raging flames.

CONCACAF followed UEFA on Wednesday by criticising FIFA's controversial plans to sell a stake in the business operations of the World Cup and its other competitions through the creation of a semi-private subsidiary.

Veteran Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said it is "very likely" he will retire at the end of the upcoming season.

Russia announced on Wednesday that it was seeking the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov over accusations of "complicity in terrorism", alleging he had let the platform be used for recruitment by Ukraine's security services.

Premium carmaker BMW is to offer almost half its German staff voluntary redundancy in a bid to cut 8,000 jobs by the end of 2027, a company source told AFP Wednesday.

South Korean stocks suffered one of their steepest plunges on Wednesday, with the blood-letting that has battered chip firms over the past month deepening as nervous investors unwound their bets on the AI boom.

Sisters Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga starred as rank outsiders Malawi stunned defending champions Nigeria 3-2 on Tuesday in a Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Group C match in Morocco.

In a small square in central London, Kevin was hawking copies of the Big Issue, a charitable magazine sold by homeless street vendors.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's carefully built image of invincibility is facing its toughest test yet, analysts say, after his government backed down in the face of youth-led protests over exam irregularities and jobs prospects.

Bangladesh's fugitive ex-premier Sheikh Hasina told AFP she was determined to return to her country by December despite fearing for her life.

Swiss banking giant UBS reported Wednesday that net profit rose 17 percent to $2.8 billion in the second quarter, driven by its investment banking arm.

The US Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as Donald Trump's top intelligence official Tuesday, putting a permanent chief in charge of the country's spy agencies as the president revives unsupported election fraud claims ahead of the midterms.

A Hong Kong bookshop raided by national security police this month announced on Wednesday that it would close after 50 years in business, while another shut down ahead of schedule.

South Korean stocks suffered one of their steepest plunges Wednesday, with the blood-letting that has battered chip firms over the past month deepening as nervous investors unwound their bets on the AI boom.

US and Saudi Arabian forces said they struck Iran-backed militants in Iraq on Wednesday in retaliation for recent attacks, following a short pause in Iran war hostilities.